Sarah Parker

Biography

Sarah Parker is chief justice and the longest-sitting current member of the N.C. Supreme Court.

Early Life and Education

Sarah Elizabeth Parker was born Aug. 23, 1942, in Charlotte to Augustus and Zola Elizabeth Smith Parker.

She graduated from Garinger High School in Charlotte in 1960. 

She attended Meredith College in Raleigh from 1960 to 1962, then earned a bachelor's degree in education from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1964.

She earned a law degree from UNC in 1969.

Professional Career

She worked as a corporate lawyer in Charlotte from 1969 to 1984.

Judicial Career 

In 1984, Gov. Jim Hunt appointed her to the state Court of Appeals. She was re-elected in 1986 and 1990.

She was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1992.

After she lost a bid for re-election in 1994, she was reappointed to another seat by Hunt, then re-elected twice.

In January of 2006, Gov. Mike Easley appointed her chief justice, the third woman to serve in that post.

In that role, she successfully lobbied the legislature to boost court spending by $34 million.

In November of that year, she was elected to another term, taking advantage of the state's public campaign financing system. 

She is the longest-sitting current member of the state Supreme Court.

Although the Supreme Court is now a nonpartisan post, Parker is a registered Democrat and has been supported in her campaigns by the N.C. Democratic Party. 

Research and reporting by Ryan Teague Beckwith.

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